Table.



PATENTED- SEPT; 22, 1903.

E. E. QUAAS.

TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

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iio. 739,618. V

UNITED STATES iatented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. cums, on KANsAsonY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 'ro VICTOR w. rLowERRnE AND JAMES B. KEISTER, or KANSAS orrr, MISSOURI.

TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 739,618, dated September 22, 1903.

Application an April 9, 19oz. Serialll'o. 151,696. on model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. QUAAS, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Kanhas for its object to produce a table of this character which is of exceedingly light, yet strong, rigid, and durable construction, and which when folded is conveniently portable and may be stored away inavery small space.

To this end the invention consists in .cer-' tain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,i'n which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the table with the legs folded against its under side. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in its erect or operative position. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line II II of Fig. 1 and showing the table folded in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified construction. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of the'modified form of table in its erect or operative position. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line VI VI of Fig. 5.

In the said drawings, where like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts, the table is composed of two similar sections extending longitudinally and arranged edge to edge, having alined cross-bars 2 at their ends and if the table is a long one alined crossbars 3 at their middle. Said cross-bars are secured to the under sides of the sections and hinged together, as at 4, in order that the tabars 3 are employed, as in a long table, said rods may be secured at their inner ends to said bars, and secured by set-screws 8 on said rods are sliding stops or collars 9.

1O designates cross-bars arranged end to end in pairs, fitting slidingly on rods 7 and hinged together, as at 11, coincidently with the hinges 4:, so as to fold with the table-sections, and pivoted to the ends of said bars 10 and arranged just inward of and also pivoted, as at 12, to legs 6 are legs13, these legs being braced by cross-bars 14, hinged together, as at 15, in alinement with hinges 4 and 11, and said bars are provided with grooves 16 to fit over rods '7 when the legs are folded against the under side of the table-sections. As a further means of insuring rigidity and strength, brace-bars 1a are connected to legs 13 by angle-braces 17 or their equivalent.

' The foregoing completes the enumeration of the parts of the table proper-that is, of the preferred form of the same-and assuming that the table occupies its folded or inoperative position, as shown-by dotted lines, Fig. 3, and that it is desired to erect it for use the operator grasps'the sectionsand swings them to the position shownin full lines, Figs. 1 and 3. The position of the table is then reversed, so as to dispose the legs beneath it, and the bars 10 are grasped and slid inwardly or toward each other until arrested by the stops 9, the result being the legs 6 and 13 intersect each other andalford a rigid and stable support for the table, bracing it for such a comparatively long distance that the top, in a table as long as a paperhangers pasting or cutting table, will he practically rigid or unyielding for its entire length. In fact, the structure is so rigid by having the intersecting legs that it maybe made of such thin material that its entire weight in practice need not exceed twenty-eight or thirty pounds, and for this reason can be moved from place to place with great facility and convenience.

The adjustment of thestops 9 obviously regulates the height of the table, so that it can be made to conveniently accommodate a tall or a short person, and for this reason will be found of great convenience by paperhangers, as the ordinary tables employed are frequently too high for the paperhangers assistants, usually boys, to work upon.

A short table of the type described will be found exceedingly useful for sewing, drafting, and card-playing purposes, and, in fact,

will be useful in many connections not necessary to mention herein.

In the modified form shown by Sheet 2 the arrangement of the legs is reversedthat is to say, the inner legs are hinged to the bars 2 and the outer legs are slidingly connected to the table.and for this reason are identified by different reference characters. The inner legs 18 are hinged, as at 19, to end bars 2 and have their brace-bars 2O hinged together, as at 21, and connected to the legs by inclined braces 22. Said legs are pivoted to the outer legs 23, having metallic extensions 24, pivoted to sliding sleeves 25, engaging grooved side strips 26, secured to the under sides of the table sections parallel with their side margins. These sleeves are adapted to slide on said strips when the legs are swung to operative or inoperative position and be limited in the former movement by stops in the form of pins 27, engaging one of the longitudinal series of holes 28 in said strips, as shown in.

Fig. 5, and owing to the fact that the pivotal points of legs 23 occupy a higher plane than the corresponding points of legs 18 the ends of bars 2, if extended to meet strips 26, must be notched, as at 29, to accommodate the sleeves and projecting ends of plates 24 when the legs are folded up against the bottom ofthe table, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The folding or unfolding of said table is eifected in practically the same manner as in the preferred construction, the only difference being that the outer legs slide inside of the inner.

ones and that pins are employed as stops instead of collars.

When the table is employed as a paperhangers cutting and pasting table, it is necessary to provide for a lateral extension of the table to accommodate ingrain paper, which is considerably wider than the ordinary paper. For this purpose I secure bars 30 rigidly to the ou'tersides of the end bars of one section of the table and connect to the same by arulejoint or its equivalent, as at 31, folding arms '32, adapted to project laterally from the table to support an extra board (not shown) for the accommodation of such paper. use, the extension-arms 32 are swung around under the table until locked in place by springcatches 33, secured to the contiguous bars 2, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. In long tables a similar auxiliary board-support is secured to the corresponding intermediate bar,

3, as also shown in said figures, which latter support serves to prevent the table sagging at its middle.

While the description refers to andthe drawings illustrate the structure as a table, it is to be understood, of course, that the use of the Y folding legs per se or the use of such legs in combination with the folding top or body is contemplated in such analogous structures as couches, cots, and in fact in any device in addition to those enumerated which it is practicable to support by folding legs involving the principle of construction herein presented,

When not in and it is also to be understood that the invention may obviously be modified in various particulars without departing from its spirit and scope or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A table, comprising top sections hinged together to fold longitudinally, cross-bars longitudinally alined and secured to the under side of the sections and hinged together at their abutting ends, longitudinal guides secured to the under side of the table-sections, a second set of cross-bars lon gitudinally alined and hinged'together at their abutting ends and slidingly mounted on said guides, a pair of legs pivotally secured to said slidable crossbars to operatevertically, a second pair of legs pivoted to thefirst-named cross-bars and to the first-named legs to operate in a plane parallel therewith, and means to secure the slidable cross-bars at the desired point of adjustment on the guides.

2. A table, comprising top sections hinged together to fold longitudinally, cross -bars longitudinally alined and secured to the under side of the sections and hinged together at theirabutting ends, longitudinal guides secured to the under side of the table-sec tions, a second set ofcross-bars longitudinally alined and hinged together at their-abutting ends and slidingly mounted on said guides,.a pair of legs pivotally secured to said slidable cross-bars to operate vertically, a hinged brace between the legs of the slidable bar, a second pair of legs pivoted to the first-named cross-bars and to the first-named legs to operate in a plane parallel therewith, and means to secure the slidable cross --bars at the desired point of adjustment .on the guides.

3. Atable,comprising top sections arranged side'by side, longitudinally-alined cross-bars underlying and secured to the sections and hinged together at their abutting ends, a second set of longitudinally-alined cross-bars underlying and having a sliding relation with the tablesections and hinged together in alinement with the hinge-points of the firstnamed bars, legs pivoted at their upper ends to the first-named. cross-bars, legs pivoted at their upper endsto the lastnamed crossbars, and pivotally connected to the first-named legs, a third set of alined cross-bars underlying the table-sections and secured rigidly at their outer ends to the last-named sets of legs, and hinged together at their inner ends in line with the other hinges, longitudinal guide-rods underlying the sections and forming a guide for said sliding cross-bars, and stops to limit theslidingmovement in one direction of said second set of cross-bars.

4:. A table, comprising top sections arranged side by side, longitudinally-alined cross-bars underlying andsecured to the sections and hinged together at their abutting ends, a second set of longitudinally-alined cross-bars underlying and having a sliding relation with guide-rods underlying the sections and fornn in the presence of two witnesses.

ing a, guide for said sliding cross-bars, and adjustable stops secured to said rods to limit the slidingmoveme'nt in one direction of said I5 second set of cross-bars.

r In testimony whereof I affix my signature EDWARD E. QUAAS.

WVitnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

